This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The primary hypothesis is that pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNFa are mediators of sleepiness and contribute to the pathology of sleep apnea.